Counterpart

Just like a lot of other reviewers, I wondered loudly "WHAT?? Only 2 seasons?? WHY?" I was drawn in half way through the first episode! I found Counterpart on Amazon Prime and wondered why I'd never heard of the show. I have Starz and I do not remember ever seeing this. I love J. K. Simmons! I would remember this show!

Anyway, I searched "why did Starz cancel Counterpart?"

Oh. My. Wait until you see this.

The reason for canceling, is the reason Starz really needs new people running the company.

Per Deadline - "Starz COO Jeffrey Hirsch addressed the cancellation at the TCA summer press tour and admitted that the show's audience was "too male" to fit into its new female-focused strategy" (oh wait. It gets better) "Counterpart was a great show, we had great partners in MRC and Justin is a great writer, but it was a very complicated show, a very male show." (yes, really 😳)

So, ladies, you're just not bright enough to follow this "very complicated show", it's for guys only, honey, so get in there and make a sandwich for me while I watch the last episode of Counterpart. Chop chop! Oh, and a beer...

I'm a woman. I managed to follow the story.

Jeffery Hirsch, you are an idiot.

Only two seasons? Obviously not simple enough for most viewers. And not enough plot cliches. I watched every episode of the two seasons and never felt cheated or regarded as too dumb to follow the story. However, if you're looking for science-fiction, this is not it. The parallel worlds element is kept in the background. These episodes were character driven and shined with excellent acting and great scripts -- a lot about relationships, who we think we are, and how others see us. I have always been a J.K. Simmons fan, but I've never seen him so good. And the rest of the cast deserve equal praise for what they delivered. Yes, it could get a little confusing at times, but nobody I know nodded off through any of it.

I suppose I am not surprised at a lot of the negative reviews here. This is a subtle show. If you like your science fiction without starships, loud photon torpedoes and men throwing cars at one another --then this might well be for you!

The direction, acting and script are all top notch. The pilot episode gave a taste of everything you can expect form the series, whereas the series has settled into a slow reveal as it answers the questions posed in the first episode.

J.K.Simmons is exceptional. The subtle changes in personality, bearing and voice he portrays, enable the viewer to see the different characters even from a distance. None of the other actors (so far) have to try their hand at this form of subtlety, but JK (an actor I've always liked) is brilliant at it.

The setting is superb. Berlin is such a refreshing change as a backdrop to this story and the truly international cast also bring something to the table that is not in a lot of other shows these days.

As I said earlier, this may not be for everyone, but if you like good acting, great locations, good production values and a slow burn, solid story then this is for you!

This was like the best,most original,excellent cast,excellent story,excellent writing and really just entirely fantastic acting. Why would they cancel a show that is so good? Who makes these ridiculous decisions. It was so unique and so entertaining that really irritates me that it was cancelled.

Why in the world was this only given two seasons?? The Cold War spy vs spy story line may sound dated, but really it's not: It's a Cold War between two parallel universes (basically). The acting is superb. J K Simmons is great, as is the supporting cast. Rich character development.